Oboe Reeds

As an oboist reeds dominate your life; determining your sound, ease of response & tuning. This is why we handpick the best reeds for oboe in the UK and even from around the globe for you to play. If you need any help just drop one of our oboe experts a line or glance at our Q&A's at the bottom of this page!

Are these reeds like other store bought oboe reeds?

NO! All of our oboe reeds are handmade (we never sell machine made reeds!) by a very select group of oboists, with the highest
quality cane and staples. Each oboe reed is tested vigorusly and undergos through inspection before being sent out. This ensures that
every reed you receive is of the highest quality and ready to play...

How can I make my oboe reed last longer?

Follow these simple steps:

1) Soak your reed in clean water whilst you are putting your oboe together - this helps to prevent as much salava entering the fibres of the reed (Salava breaks down the structure of the cane!)

2) 'Rotate' your reeds (don't use the same reed all of the time) - you need to have a least 3 oboe reeds. Play one for a day and then switch to a different reed for the next day so you don't use the same reed continuously. This usually dramatically increases the ammount of time a reed will last.

3) Finished playing for the day? run some cold water through your reeds - this helps to reduce the build-up of 'gunk' on the reed which will eventually clog up the reed.

4) Leave your reed case out and open each night - this gives your reeds a chance to rest and will help reduce the chance of your reeds going mouldy.

5) If you've just eaten and are about to play oboe drink a glass of water - food is the worst culprit for destroying oboe reeds. Try to reduce the possiblity of food debris from the mouth getting onto the reed or indeed into your oboe!

What difference do metal oboe staples make?

The metal oboe staples, in the Winfield Pro reeds, allow the vibrations the reed creates to pass more readily into the oboe as opposed
to when a cork oboe staple is used, which tends to damp the reeds vibrations. This means the metal staple has a larger sound which
projects further and a greater degree of flexibility.

I'm a beginner oboist, which reed should I choose?

We suggest that all beginner and up to grade 3 oboists use our specially designed
Student Oboe Reeds. These student reeds have thicker
tips which means there is less chance of the reed being accidentally damaged. They are very free blowing with a pleasant tone
allowing for very easy playing. We offer a great value
'6 month' deal with our student oboe reeds: you purchase 6 oboe reeds in advance you gain a large discount, free postage and
we will then send out two student oboe reeds every two months. This means you don't have to worry about ordering more reeds as you
always know more are on their way, in the comfy knowledge that you've saved a lot of money!

I'm a university student / music college student / professional oboist, which reed do you suggest?

Should I use US or European scrape oboe reeds?

If you live in the UK or most of Europe then most oboists tend to use the European scrape. (All of our oboe reeds apart from the
‘KGE Professional US Oboe Reed’ are European scrape!)

If you are from the USA we suggest you use US scrape oboe reeds which is a longer scrape as this is what is generally
used in the USA. (The only US scrape oboe reed we sell is the ‘KGE Professional US Oboe Reed’)

Why do some oboe reeds have a wire?

Some reed makers choose to use wires and this is partially down to the reedmakers personally style of reed making. The wire on the
reed allows you to adjust the oboe reed more easily, suiting it to yourself more easily.

Occasionally you may need to return items – please email us with the details of the return within 30 days of receiving the order. We'll then send you an email back to confirm the return the refund or exchange along with out return address to one of our stores or via post for an exchange or refund.

Under the Distance Selling Regulations, if you purchase online or by phone your consumer rights entitle you to a full refund if you request one in writing within 14 working days of delivery; we habve extended this to 30 days. This excludes the products listed as exceptions below.

Conditions of Return
Items must be in their original condition with the packaging unopened and accompanied with your receipt of purchase.

Delivery Charges
We will cover the postage for returning/replacing items that were sent in error or defective when delivered (please contact us to advise the delivery method), otherwise you will be responsible for any costs incurred in returning items to us. We highly recommend that you send items back via a traceable service and take out postal insurance to cover their value, as we are not responsible for the risk of loss or damage to such goods.

Products we are Unable to Exchange or Refund
Unless faulty or not as described, we cannot refund or offer an exchange on:

All of our products are price checked against our competitors on a regular basis to ensure that we are giving you the best price possible.

If you find a lower price from a retailer in the UK on a product that isn't on special offer, we'll match their price & then take an extra £2.50 off the price. Just send us the name of the product & where it is cheaper to sales@crookandstaple.com and we'll arrange for you to receive the lowered price!

Please note that this comparison is between UK retailers and where the product isn't on a special offer or part of a sale on our competitors website.